Chasing Pavements
by Jade of Purple
Summary: A chance meeting at a café, hot chocolate, and a smile. This is a story about when Arthur met Guinevere. Modern day/AU.
1. Spark

**Chasing Pavements**

 **Chapter 1 – It Started with a Spark**

Arthur absentmindedly stared at the passing images before him. Having just arrived in the town of Stonehaven, Scotland, Arthur wanted nothing more than to enter his hotel room and pretend for a moment he was normal.

No one knew he was here. There was no security team with him, no squadron of advisers and aides; just him, his assistant, Merlin, and his bodyguard, Percival.

He had told his father that he needed a bit of a holiday; A break from his family, the press, and the constant pressure. Arthur knew that everyone, including his family and palace advisers, thought that he was heading off to some tropical island with the intention of spending the next few weeks partying and getting pissed. But this could not have been further from the truth.

Back home he had started to feel as if he were being suffocated. He had long since learned to live with the fact that his life of privilege came with a heavy price. He was a piece of property, something to be pursued, owned, managed, and used. He had countless so-called friends but could count on one hand the people he trusted, and felt viewed him as Arthur, and not Britain's spare to the heir.

Some nights he found himself happily giving into the temptation to drink excessively, in hopes of feeling some resemblance of peace; in hopes of escaping it all, even if just momentarily.

 _In a few weeks' time_ , he decided, _I'll go back to pretending that everything is all right. In a few weeks' time, I'll go back and be the puppet they want me to be._

The sudden sound of laughter abruptly pulled him from his thoughts. An elderly man could be seen in a poor, but hilarious, attempt to serenade an elderly woman sitting at a bench. Arthur smiled as the woman roared with laughter once again. He watched as she then stood up and enveloped the man in her arms.

Arthur smiled to himself as the traffic light changed, and his bodyguard pulled off.

He was on his way to the hotel, but suddenly felt the need to quietly join the outside world. Arthur turned to his longtime bodyguard Percival Hopper. "I think I'll go for a walk around the town."

Without asking, the other man knew Arthur intended to take this walk alone. "Sir, I don't think that would be a wise choice."

"You worry too much Percy. I'll be fine. Besides, no one knows I'm here." Arthur could tell that his bodyguard still felt apprehensive. "Look, my face will be almost completely covered; I highly doubt anyone will even spare me a second glance."

Percy opened his mouth to speak but said nothing.

"Great. I'm glad we're both in agreement."

"Merlin won't like this." The larger man mumbled to himself as he lightly shook his head.

"Contrary to what Merlin seems to believe, he works for me. Now let's go." Arthur smirked as he put on his sunglasses. There was a buzzing type of energy in his bones, and an unexpected feeling of exhilaration that he could not explain.

* * *

The cold winter air felt calming against Gwen's skin, as she made her way to the Harbour Hut Café. Her taste buds hummed in anticipation of the scrumptious Scottish tablets she would soon be biting into.

As she neared the shop, she thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't needed at work until later in the day. She now had plenty of time to visit the café and indulge in her favorite treats.

* * *

The cashier, whose name-tag read Gwaine, smiled at her as he repeated her order. "Will that be all?" The smirk on his face was flirtatious but Gwen was unfazed by his charm.

"Yes. Thank you Gwaine." Even though she found his flirting amusing, she knew his type, and knew that the word relationship was not in his vocabulary.

"Still seems unfair. You know my name, but I still don't know yours."

Gwen said nothing as she smiled and began to move away.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to keep calling you Angel until you tell me your name," he called out, then chuckled.

"Gwaine, get back to work and leave the poor girl alone." Ian, one of his coworkers, shouted behind him.

"Can't blame a man for trying," Gwaine shrugged, as he turned to greet the next customer.

* * *

Dressed in a blue winter hat, gray scarf, dark sunglasses, and a black heavy coat, Arthur removed his wool gloves as he entered the quiet café and briefly scanned the area before joining the short line. An middle-aged woman stood in front of him, prattling off a list of items. Arthur sighed as he listened to her switch her order before restarting her list. When it was finally his turn, he barely spared the cashier a glance as he ordered a large hot chocolate with whipped cream and extra marshmallows.

While waiting for his warm beverage, he slowly looked around the room. There was a family with 3 children seated at one of the tables. The children each had an ice cream cone, clearly undaunted by the freezing temperatures outside. Two tables away, seat an older couple quietly enjoying their morning tea. As he turned to the counter, anxiously awaiting his hot chocolate, he spotted a young woman in a red coat. Her back was turned to him, and all he could see was her long dark curly hair.

"Hot chocolate," Ian called out, placing the beverage on the counter.

Arthur quickly walked up to the counter, but when he reached for the cup, his hand met the hand of another. The young woman in the red coat pulled away the moment her skin touched his. They had both felt a small shock pass between their hands.

"Sorry." They said simultaneously, as they turned to the other.

"I think that's my order." Even though Gwen could see nothing but the bottom half of his face, she still felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks.

Arthur stared at her for a moment, and noted the radiant color of her skin and the deep brown hue of her eyes. It took him a second to regain his senses. "Oh, is it?"

"Yes, it is," Gwaine suddenly interjected, from the cash register, carefully eyeing the other man.

Arthur seemed obvious to him, as his eyes and attention remained on the young woman in front of him.

He lifted the cup and pointed to the heart. "Guess I should have known this wasn't for me." He laughed nervously, then instantly felt at ease when he heard her softly chuckle.

"Well I'm sure if you asked nicely enough, they'd be willing to draw one on yours too." She smiled.

When the silence stretched between them for a second too long, Gwen abruptly felt aware that everyone's eyes were now on them. She shyly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, before holding her hand out for her drink.

"Oh … right, here you go." He suddenly felt like an awkward teenager.

"Thank you." She could not understand why she now felt so nervous, or why she felt the need to leave the shop when she had originally planned to sit and enjoy her hot chocolate. She spared him one more glance before turning and walking out of the café.

"She forgot her Scottish tablets." Ian held up a bag filled with the treats.

"I'll give it to her." Arthur quickly volunteered.

"No, it's fine. I'll give it to her." Gwaine's tone held a jealous edge to it.

"Just let him bring it to her." Ian tossed to the bag to Arthur, who swiftly ran out after Gwen.

"Excuse me Miss," he called out.

Gwen turned around, slightly surprised to see him behind her.

"You forgot your sweets." He handed her the bag.

"Thank you." She waited a second; secretly hoping that he would say something else, anything else. But disappointment colored her features when he simply nodded to her and waved goodbye.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it,_ Arthur mumbled over and over in his head, angry at himself for not asking her out or at least asking for her name. He tried to push his regret aside as he walked back towards the café _. It would've been pointless to ask her out._ He reasoned. _I'll probably never see her again._

 **TBC**

 ****Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you thought of it****


	2. Day Dreamer

**Chasing Pavements**

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the series Merlin or any of its characters.

 **Chapter 2 – Day Dreamer**

Merlin looked through the figures on his ledger as he sipped his afternoon tea. He was seated in the kitchen of the apartment they had rented at the Mill Inn. Merlin chuckled to himself as he recalled the look on Arthur's face when he first entered the apartment. He knew the other man had most likely been expecting an over the top hotel suite in the heart of town; but Merlin thought that a more calming setting would be precisely the change of pace Arthur needed.

The apartment had a small kitchen, a living room fitted with two sofas, a tiny dining table, and two bedrooms, one with a queen-sized bed and the other with two twins. The kitchen walls were partially covered with green tiling, and had unpainted wooden cabinets, that gave the room a homelike feel. The living room was decorated in neutral colors, with the off-white walls complimenting the beige leather sofas.

As Merlin finished his tea he realized that the apartment had been fairly quiet all day. Arthur had only called for him a few times, which was odd. Having worked for the prince for over 4 years, Merlin had grown accustomed to constantly being pulled away from important tasks in order to assist Arthur with various trivial issues.

Arthur, he realized, had been distracted and uncharacteristically quiet over the last couple of days.

There was definitely something amiss.

Merlin stood up and walked into the living room, where he found Arthur absent mindedly watching television. He sat down on the other sofa, and dropped his ledger on the coffee table. "What is it?" He suddenly asked.

"What?"

"What are you so preoccupied with? Clearly it must be something good, because it's been able to hold your full attention for days now?

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. Come on, out with it."

"Merlin, I believe you sometimes forget who you're speaking to." Arthur's words held a small warning within them.

"You've had your head in the clouds all day. And don't even try to deny it, because I can tell." Merlin was clearly unfazed by the prince's tone. Merlin paused a moment before continuing. "You've had this draft smile on your face since we got here."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Of course this was a lie. Arthur knew exactly what Merlin was referring to. Since yesterday, thoughts of warm smiles and hot chocolate had filled his mind.

Merlin just stared at him and waited. Arthur sighed before answering. "I met a woman yesterday."

Merlin had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "And?"

"And nothing. I went to a café and met a young woman."

"That's what's been occupying your thoughts? A woman in a café?" His words were laced with suspicion. He just hoped Arthur hadn't done anything foolish. Immediately his mind leaped to possible damage control tactics. He would first have to find this girl. No, he would first need to know what happened. "What happened between you two? Did she know who you were? And might I add that this walk to the café was not part of that day's itinerary."

"Nothing happened. And for the millionth time, you are not my keeper."

Merlin simply ignored his later statement. "What do you mean nothing happened? Clearly something must have occurred."

"I almost took her hot chocolate." When Merlin gave him a strange look, Arthur added, "I thought it was mine." As he retold the story, a wistful smile slowly developed on his face. "Nothing major transpired … it was just … I don't know. There was something about her. She had this smile that was sweet but mysterious, and these expressive deep brown eyes."

It took Merlin a second to snap out of crisis control mode, and back into friend/assistant mode.

He stared at Arthur for a moment before responding. "You're smitten with her," he said with astonishment in his voice.

"What? No. Don't be ridiculous. I hardly know her. As a matter of fact, I don't know her at all."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're smitten with her." Merlin flashed him a cheeky grin. "So when are you planning on ringing her?"

"I didn't get her number."

"Okay, then what's her name?"

Arthur hesitated before answering. "I didn't quite get her name either."

"Wait, so you've been completely off your trolley about a woman who you have no means of contacting, and whose name you don't even know?"

"Well, when you say it like that, does it sound a bit …" Arthur struggled to find the right word.

"Barmy?"

"I was going to say odd."

"Barmy works better." He smiled.

"Careful Merlin, unemployment might be in your near future."

"True, but first you'll have to find someone mad enough to work for you."

 **TBC**

 ****Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave a review.****


	3. Hope

**Chasing Pavements**

 **Chapter 3 - Hope**

As Gwen flipped through the papers in her hands, she found her thoughts drifting to the man in the café. Though the encounter between them had lasted only a few minutes, she could not seem to stop herself from replaying it over and over in her mind. She felt foolish whenever she found herself contemplating whether or not to return to the café, with the hope that he would be there.

She had told only her close friend Molly about the encounter. Her phone conversation with the other woman had gone as she expected it would.

"Maybe he has a girlfriend." Gwen reasoned.

"Or maybe he's single and was just tongue tied," came Molly's response.

"Maybe he's gay."

"You said he was flirting with you."

"I never said that."

"Well, you never said he wasn't." Molly countered, as if it completely justified her claim.

"Molly."

"Gwen. How many times do I have to tell you that you need to be more out-going? You would think by now you'd be way more assertive. I mean, look at all you've already accomplished. You're finally doing what you love, and that's only because you took a chance."

"You make it sound as if I missed some unbelievable opportunity." She laughed.

"I'm just saying that you can't be afraid to go and get what you want. You told me that you were hoping he'd ask you out, right?"

"Yes," she mumbled already aware of where this was heading.

"Then why didn't you just ask him out? He would've either said yes or dished out some sad excuse; or in your world, admitted that he had a girlfriend and was gay."

Both women broke out in laughter. Luckily for Gwen the conversation had soon after shifted topics.

After another half-hearted attempt to focus on work, Gwen dropped the sheets she had been reading.

The urge to visit the café returned.

Gwen glanced at the clock as her indecision hung heavily in the air. She sat silently for a long moment before moving to grab a coin from her bag. She forced herself not to hesitate as she tossed the coin into the air.

With bated breath she watched and waited as it slowly tumbled down.

Elsewhere Arthur had, in his profound opinion, come about a brilliant idea. He would return to the Harbour Hut Café in search of his mystery woman. He decided that once he entered the shop, he would find her seated at one of the tables, as if waiting for him.

After hearing this plan, Merlin was, understandably, a bit skeptical. He bothered only once to try and convince Arthur to change his mind. Merlin soon acquiesced, feeling that this plan was the lesser of two evils, seeing as how Arthur's first plan was to hire a sketch artist and post up the picture of the woman, in the hopes that someone would recognize her.

Merlin and Percy waited in the rented car and watched as Arthur stepped out and headed to the café.

Donned in the same hat, coat and sunglasses he had worn the last time, Arthur entered the slightly busy café and slowly glanced around. She wasn't there.

Pushing away the feeling of disappointment he felt, he decided that he would wait there for a bit. _Maybe I missed her? Maybe she normally comes here at a later time?_ He thought to himself.

He waited and watched as the morning rush quickly died down until there was only a hand full of customers left. He was seated at a small table near the window. A spot chosen purposefully, in case she happened to walk by.

One of the employees walked up to his table.

"Are you planning on buying something?"

"No, I'm looking for someone."

"Well, you can't stay here unless you're a customer."

"Fine," Arthur mumbled, slightly aggravated, as if it were somehow the other man's fault that she wasn't there.

Slowly, and clearly annoyed, Arthur got up and walked to the register. He chose to purchase a breakfast tea, needing something to calm his nerves.

As he finished his order, he recognized the cashier as the same one from before, but the other man gave no indication that he remembered him.

After collecting his tea, Arthur returned to his table near the window and waited. Each time the door opened to reveal an unfamiliar face, Arthur felt his excitement lessen. Five minutes soon became ten, and ten soon morphed into thirty. Now done with his drink, Arthur had no choice but to admit how foolish his plan had been.

"Hey mate, is everything all right?" Gwaine said, as he walked up to Arthur's table.

"Yes, I'm fine." Arthur realized that he probably looked a bit mad, sitting there by himself all this time 'waiting for someone.' _This is ridiculous_ , he thought. _What was I bloody thinking?_ He suddenly stood up and took a few steps towards the door only to turn around and face Gwaine, who was still standing next to his vacated table.

Arthur's words came out slightly rushed, as if he were trying to get them all out before losing his nerve. "I was here a few days ago. There was also a young woman here. She had on a red coat." The other man looked at him with confusion. "We had both ordered a hot chocolate, but when hers was finished I mistakenly thought it was mine." He stared at Gwaine and waited for any sign of recollection in his eyes.

"Ummm…" Gwaine thought for a moment then it suddenly dawned on him. "Oh yes, I remember you. You're the burd thief," he announced, a bit too loud for Arthur's liking.

"I didn't… never mind. Do you happen to know the name of the woman I was talking to? Does she come here often?"

Gwaine folded his arms, and paused for a moment before responding. "She's not really a regular. Sorry mate."

"Okay. Thanks anyway." Arthur turned and left.

Gwaine hesitated then cursed at himself as he quickly followed Arthur out the door and into the freezing cold. "She stops by every few days or so." He called out.

Arthur turned around the moment he heard Gwaine's voice.

"She usually comes in early, before the morning rush. I don't know her name. I've been trying to get her to tell me it for weeks now." Gwaine could not explain the sudden need to share what little he knew about the young woman.

"Thank you," Arthur replied.

As he watched the other man retreat back into the warmth of the café, Arthur released a heavy sigh. He still knew nothing about the woman in the red coat. The practical side of him demanded that he let this ill-fated quest go. But the memory of the spark he felt, when his hand touched hers, still lingered, and with it there remained a small glimmer of hope.

 **TBC**

 ***Thank you to all those who took the time to leave a review!***

 ****I hope to be finished with the next chapter by early next week.****


	4. Just Breathe

**Chasing Pavements**

 **Chapter 4 – Just Breathe**

Arthur stared angrily at the alarm clock on his nightstand. The insistent beeping had torn him from his sleep, and demanded he prepare for the day. With a groan, he rolled over to turn the alarm off. As he lifted the cover back over his head, his phone suddenly began ringing.

It was his father.

His finger hovered over the talk button as he debated whether or not to answer. He had come here in order to escape his problems, but knew that this was merely a temporary reprieve and nothing more. His feelings of dejection and agitation would return ten-fold the moment he arrived back in England.

Merlin suggested he speak to his father about his thoughts, but Arthur hastily dismissed the idea, knowing that his father would simply view his admission as a display of weakness. _Perhaps he would be right, perhaps I am weak for feeling this way._ Arthur quickly shook his head as he struggled to clear his mind.

The ringing abruptly stopped. His phone then beeped once, indicating a missed call. With a tired sigh, he tossed his phone onto the nightstand and forced himself to get up.

He refused to dwell on what might have happened had he answered the phone, and spoke truthfully with his father. Instead, he chose to focus on the day ahead, and made a decision that his troubles, for the time being, could wait.

As he went about getting dressed, his mind briefly wandered to _her_. Yesterday, he had managed to avoid all thoughts of the woman from the café, after his attempt to search for her had yielded nothing. Even now he could still feel the sting of disappointment that had settled in his bones.

Again, he found himself needing to clear his thoughts.

Percy knocked softly on Arthur's door, before informing him that the car was ready.

Arthur grabbed his belongings then joined Merlin and Percy outside.

Today he planned to visit Scotland's Dunnottar Castle to see an old friend of his, Sefa Rundle, who he hadn't seen in over a year. He'd known Sefa since uni. Back then she had been a shy young woman, filled with a brilliant imagination and an eye for detail. Now years later, she had become one of Britain's most accomplished young directors.

Sefa's latest film, whose title Arthur could not remember, was currently being filmed at Dunnottar Castle.

The moment he saw her it was as if time had gone back. There was no tension in their voices or apprehension in their movements. It was as if things had simply picked up where they last left them.

Sefa's busy schedule could only allot for a short visit. Much of their time was spent reminiscing, as they strolled around the castle grounds. Trailing closely behind them, Merlin and Percy watched and listened as the two old classmates traded story after story.

As the visit slowly came to a close, Sefa turned to Arthur. "Do you want to tell me why you're really here?" She said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Arthur, it's been a year since I saw you last. Now you suddenly arrive in Scotland and want to meet up and reconnect. I know you. Something's going on." She slowed her steps forcing him to do the same.

"I just needed to get away for a bit." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sefa knew that his family had always been a sensitive topic for him; and she could tell that he was not yet ready to discuss it. "I'm here for you whenever you need someone to talk to."

"I know."

"What are you planning on doing for the rest of your stay here?" She asked as they made their way to the parking area.

Arthur shrugged as they turned a corner. He opened his mouth to reply but instead suddenly stopped in his tracks.

 _It's her._ His mind shouted.

Standing just meters away, was none other than the woman from the café. The very same woman he had searched for the day before.

Merlin nearly bumped into Arthur after his abrupt stop.

"What's wrong?" Percy questioned, as he began to hastily look around for any missed threats or dangers.

"Shhh," Arthur said in a harsh whisper, then quickly turned back around the corner.

Sefa, Merlin and Percy cautiously followed him.

"Arthur, what's the matter?" Merlin whispered, now fully on edge.

"Who is that?" He spoke in a hushed tone, as he completely ignored Merlin's question and the odd looks his three companions were giving him.

"Who?" Sefa glanced back around the corner. She could see only Lance, Gwen and Peter speaking to each other.

"The young woman. Do you know who she is?"

"Of course, that's Gwen," she answered, still confused over his behavior.

"Gwen? Is it short for anything?"

"Her first name is Guinevere."

"Guinevere." The name felt almost familiar, as if he had spoken it many times before.

"Arthur, why are you acting so odd?" Merlin asked.

"It's her." He couldn't believe that she was right there, just meters away.

"It's who?" Sefa questioned.

Merlin and Percy were still equally confused.

"It's. Her." He placed emphasis on each word.

"It's her? … Oh! It's her." The young assistant nearly shouted.

"Shhhh. Would you keep it down."

Percy chuckled at Arthur's behavior.

"I can't believe it. That's her? Are you certain?" Merlin could not explain why he felt so relieved that they had found her, mistakenly found her, but found her none the less.

"Yes."

"I'm still a bit confused here. What are you lot talking about?" Sefa looked at all three men and waited for some sort of explanation.

"Arthur met that young woman a few days ago and has been obsessing over her ever since." Merlin answered.

"I have not been obsessing over her," he hissed.

"Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't"

"Yes- -"

"Okay, you two, let's focus." She looked at Arthur. "You know Gwen?"

"Well no, not really. I met her at a local café, but I never got her name. I was honestly starting to doubt that I would ever see her again." Arthur suddenly felt sickly nervous. "What am I going to do?" He asked no one in particular.

"Say hello, and go from there." Merlin answered as if it should have been obvious.

The prince was no stranger to the opposite sex. If anything, Arthur had always seemed too sure of himself when it came to women. But now he found himself feeling apprehensive.

"It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is." Merlin replied.

"I don't want her to know who I am. Not yet anyway."

"So how do you propose meeting her?"

Arthur turned to Sefa. "Sefa, you could introduce me to her. You just need to tell her that my name is David."

"David?" Sefa questioned.

"It is technically one of my names" Arthur said, referring to the fact that he had 3 middle names, one of which was David. "Please Sefa." He was not opposed to begging if it meant he would be able to speak with Guinevere.

"You're serious?"

"Completely."

"Fine. I'll introduce you to her." Sefa acquiesced, but in all honesty she was unsure whether introducing Arthur to Gwen would be a smart idea. Gwen was not the type of woman Arthur usually dated. Gwen had a mind of her own, cared little about material possessions, and had an overly generous heart.

Sefa smiled inwardly as it struck her that perhaps Gwen was exactly the kind of woman Arthur needed. The young director lightly shook her head, knowing she was getting ahead of herself.

"Just wait right here _David_." She walked around the corner and headed towards Gwen.

Arthur quickly turned to his two companions. "You both should go," he whispered.

"Why? Are you embarrassed of us?" Merlin swiftly pretended to be offended.

"I just don't want to get stuck trying to explain who you two are."

"Fine," he replied, "we'll be close, but out of sight. And do try to keep your hands to yourself."

"Shut up Merlin."

In the meantime, as Sefa neared her destination, she could feel her thoughts running wild. Arthur's anxiety had seemingly become contagious, and she now felt both eager and anxious about what was about to happen.

"Sefa." Lance greeted her as he stepped slightly to the side, giving her room to join their small circle. "You're trying to freeze us to death." He joked, but was half serious.

"You say that now, but wait until you see the finished product. Trust me your temporary distress will not be in vain."

Sefa took a minute more to exchange pleasantries before turning her attention to Gwen.

"Gwen, can I steal you away for a moment? There's someone I would like you to meet."

"Of course." Gwen then excused herself.

When they fell in step, Gwen turned and asked, "Is it someone I know?"

"Kind of." Sefa wondered briefly if she should warn the other woman, given how dramatic Arthur's reaction had been to seeing her.

Sefa turned the corner with Gwen and found only Arthur standing there waiting. Merlin and Percy were nowhere in sight.

The word nervous could not have adequately described how Arthur felt as he watched Guinevere's eyes settle upon him. She appeared shocked; probably more shocked than he had been. All week he had dutifully worn the same hat, coat and sunglasses, in the hope that their paths would once again meet.

"Hello," he smiled, then held his breath and waited for her reaction.

 **TBC**

 **I would love to hear what you have to say. A review is like a little thumbs up.**


	5. The Beginning

**First off I just wanted to thank everyone who has left a review. Your reviews definitely help push me through my moments of writer's block.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – The Beginning**

"Hello," she whispered, as her brain struggled to formulate the simplest of sentences _. It was him_ , her mind shouted, _but how could this be?_ She was tempted to reach out and touch him, just to make sure he was real.

They stared at each other as the silence stretched between them. Sefa cleared her throat, gaining both their attentions.

"Gwen, this is David, an old friend of mine. I believe you two have already met."

Gwen glanced at Sefa, as she tried to quiet the now loud beating of her heart. "We did, briefly."

"At a café," Arthur softly added.

Arthur still could not believe she was standing there in front of him. _She'd been here all along._ He couldn't stop himself from staring at her. She had on a grey wool coat with what appeared to be a cream colored dress flowing out from underneath it. Her hair was longer than he remembered it, with her curls tumbling pass her shoulders. She wore what looked like a thin layer of makeup, though he doubted she needed any.

"Gwen, I was just giving umm… David a tour, but I don't have time to finish. Do you mind taking over for me?"

Gwen had to force herself to again turn towards Sefa. "No, I wouldn't mind at all." She glanced back at 'David'.

"Splendid." Sefa had to stop herself from laughing at the clear nervous tension that surrounded the pair. "David, don't forget that you promised to stop by and bring me lunch tomorrow." With that, she walked away leaving the two lovebirds behind.

Arthur smiled inwardly as he realized that Sefa had just given him an excuse to visit again tomorrow.

"I'm not sure what you've already seen. Wouldn't want to bore you by making you visit the same things twice. There's only but so many times you can pretend to be interested in seeing the hair and makeup trailer." _Oh God_ , Gwen thought to herself, _I'm rambling_. _Shut up, please shut up now._ She forced herself to cough in the hope that it would help calm her nerves. "Is there someplace in particular you'd like to see?"

"Anywhere is fine." Arthur couldn't care less where she led him. He would tour a cement museum if it meant having her as his tour guide.

"Okay then, ... let's visit a few of the sets."

As they slowly strolled to their destination a heavy silence settled between them.

"So you're an actress." Arthur suddenly blurted out. All of the charm and finesse that had always come easily to him had seemingly vanished, leaving him to behave like some schoolboy trying to ask out his crush.

"Yes, but I've mainly done theatrical work and appeared in a few short roles on various shows. This will be my first major role in a film."

"Must be exciting."

"Yes, exciting but terrifying all at once."

"I'm sure you'll be brilliant. Sefa only chooses people who she feels will do justice to the characters."

"Yes, she is quite good at what she does." She glanced at him, and though she could not see his eyes, somehow she knew they were on her. "How do you two know each other?"

Arthur paused before answering. He knew this question would lead to others, and that he would need to be careful of what parts of him he shared. "We met at university. She was studying liberal arts and I was studying business management."

"So you've known each other for a long time."

"Yeah, I guess we have. It's funny how time just speeds by and before you know it, you're an adult." Arthur looked down then up ahead. "Sometimes I find myself missing university."

"What do you miss about it? The all-nighters, the lectures, or the parties?"

"The freedom," he answered truthfully, then waited a few seconds before glancing back at her.

Gwen was unsure how to respond. She sensed that his answer held a deep meaning within it. She wanted badly to ask what he meant by it, but she did not want to pry. Instead, she nodded and waited patiently, giving him a chance to elaborate if he chose to do so.

Arthur felt as a comfortable silence surrounded them. His answer had slipped out without permission. He had expected her to laugh at the oddness of his response, but instead he saw her softly nod. She was giving him time to continue.

He quickly changed the subject, wanting to keep the atmosphere around them light and positive.

"Which play is this?"

"Sefa didn't tell you?" She asked, accepting his decision to change the topic.

"She most likely did, but I probably wasn't fully listening." He smiled.

His smile was mesmerizing, and she found herself struggling not to blush, or breakout into a foolish grin. "It's Hamlet."

"Oh," Arthur nodded.

"You're not really familiar with Hamlet, are you?" She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at the lost expression on his face.

"No, not really. I must have missed class that day." He chuckled, and found himself staring at her lips.

Gwen quickly started to explain the intricate story that was Hamlet. Arthur listened as she passionately described each of the main characters. And as they walked by several sets she explained the importance of each one.

Nearly an hour had passed since Sefa sent them on this tour, but neither realized it until John, Sefa's assistant, had come running up to Gwen.

"Gwen, there you are. We've been looking for you all over. You're needed on set." He said, out of breath.

"I am? But earlier I was sure I had 45 minutes before my next scene." She glanced at the watch she kept in a hidden pocket in her dress. "Oh, I didn't realize how late it was. I'll be right there." She turned to 'David,' "Sorry, I have to go."

"I understand." He did, but felt a bit disappointed that their time together had come to an end.

"It was a pleasure talking to you."

"Like wise." Arthur watched as Guinevere turned to walk away. "Maybe I'll see you again tomorrow." He called out.

"Maybe," she smiled, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

 **TBC**

 **So the long awaited meeting was more of a soft breeze than a tornado. On the series I liked how their romance developed gradually, and so I might take that route or speed things along. I'm still a bit undecided on this.**

 **Any thoughts?**


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